Famines in India . 
441 
1878.] 
have never hitherto been known to affedt the entire Empire 
at one and the same time, the surplus produce of one dis- 
trict is always available to supply the wants of others when 
famine occurs in them. It is a point worthy of remark 
that severe droughts in Northern India have, on several 
occasions, followed closely upon distress similarly caused in 
the Peninsula of India : thus, the Madras famine of 1781 
to 1783 was followed by one which affedted Bengal, the 
North-west Provinces, and the Punjab, in 1783-84 ; the 
failure of rains which resulted in scarcity in many of the 
provinces of the Madras Presidency, in 1824-25, was fol- 
lowed by a similar calamity in the North-west Provinces in 
the succeeding year. The “ Guntoor ” famine of 1833 pre- 
ceded, only by a few years, one which affedted the North- 
west and Lower Provinces of Bengal in 1837-38, and the 
Madras famine of 1866 was very closely followed by one in 
the North-west Provinces and the Punjab in 1868 to 1870. 
Although no absolute famine has as yet threatened in 
Northern India, following upon the recent disastrous and 
long-continued calamity in the Peninsula, there are not 
wanting signs which are causing no small amount of 
anxiety with regard to crop prospers in other parts of the 
Empire. 
An attempt has been made to connect the occurrence of 
severe famines in India with the periods of maximum sun 
spots, the reason for which has, however, never been very 
clearly enunciated ; neither has it been shown why such 
solar phenomena should affedt one part of the world and 
not others, or why the influences — whatever they may be — 
should fall sometimes upon one part of India and sometimes 
upon another ; indeed, the more this theory is investigated 
the more untenable it appears to be ; but, even if it could 
be established, it is to be feared that, with our present 
limited knowledge of meteorological phenomena, but little 
benefit could be derived from a knowledge of the fadt that 
certain solar disturbances did influence terrestrial meteor- 
ology. 
Famines in India, excepting those of purely local origin 
and extent, may be said to be caused by failure of the usual 
rains ; failure, that is, not always in regard to quantity only, 
but often also to distribution, for sometimes the rain will 
fall so heavily at the commencement of the monsoon season 
as to render agricultural operations impossible, and fail 
altogether when the seed is at last sown and moisture is 
required to bring the plant to maturity. Also, when there 
has been a light fall only at the sowing season* excessive 
